SDNW5 Preliminary Discussion Thread

[FaxModem1]

Oh, I have a plan, I'm just curious how my nation will do on interstellar stage.

[Prezo]

I wouldn't mind giving this a go, can't put my brain together enough to figure out a name but I'd like to run some benevolent (if condescending) AI overlords, more fluff to come.

also as I'm not sure how good I'm going to be at this I would not be at all annoyed if you thought it wise to not give me too many points to mitigate the effect of me being shit.

[Esquire]

Possibly important question: Am I allowed a minor re-fluffing of my nation? I decided I want to switch my guys' natural philosophy over from it's-science-but-we-don't-know-it to something like the Ork psychic powers from 40k - if enough Hellens believe space is filled with luminiferous aether, it is, for their purposes, and things like massive catamaran galleys mounting heavy particle cannon function because they refuse to accept the idea that they wouldn't.

Hm.

[takes his modhat off and hangs it on a hook somewhere, this is being said as a player]

I would like to request, personally, that you be careful about this. You're free to do what you want, but by pushing towards the "openly physics-defying," you're somewhat running a risk. The risk is that you may turn a refreshingly-original nation idea into a copycat of an existing concept I don't know if you're aware of, the one that's behind all that bombdiscus crap I've been talking about. I like what you're doing, want to see what happens when the two traditions meet, and if yours moves too far over toward the other, then it will lessen both because of copy-ness, and thus make it all less awesome. To quote a Ben, "And besides, original-crazy is always cooler than copy-crazy."

I would appreciate it if you'd stick to your current basic concept. If you want to do stuff that's awesome but physically implausible, just be... nonspecific. I mean, we already have FTL, relativity, and causality all in the same setting. You don't have to worry too hard about it. But naked defiance of reality risks that undesirable blurring similarity.

Jawohl, mein Fuhr - Mister Moderator. Not a deliberate attemp at copying; I've been reading some 40k stuff and I thought to myself "Hmm, this Ork thing... it has potential." On the other hand, now I know who the Chartmapographers are.

I'll stick with the current concept. Should have my OOB done shortly, anyway - I'd hate to have to go back and rewrite all the fluff.

[Panzersharkcat]

I suppose if it can hit an enemy warship, it'd be pretty devastating. The "ultrasteel" projectile is supposed to be around 100-200 meters in diameter.

Fire a delay-fuzed shrapnel shell- or a bundle of flechettes, with spin imparted to the round as it leaves the barrel, and unbundle the round in lieu of using bursting charges. Problem solved.

I suppose if that gets used in the opening rounds of a battle so it can flee immediately after, I can avoid friendly fire, too.

[Simon_Jester]

Jawohl, mein Fuhr - Mister Moderator. Not a deliberate attemp at copying; I've been reading some 40k stuff and I thought to myself "Hmm, this Ork thing... it has potential." On the other hand, now I know who the Chartmapographers are.

I'll stick with the current concept. Should have my OOB done shortly, anyway - I'd hate to have to go back and rewrite all the fluff.

Please remember, I was saying this in my non-moderator capacity, with the modhat off.

With the modhat on, if you want a civilization of physics-defying space galleys, it would be grossly out of line and hypocritical for me to tell you "no."

But as a player, I think we will all have more fun if you play something which works more normally physically (if not culturally).

I suppose if that gets used in the opening rounds of a battle so it can flee immediately after, I can avoid friendly fire, too.

Er, I'm not sure I understand the concept.

Put it this way- I am a fan of the idea of using flak shells as a way to improve the lethal footprint of solid hypervelocity projectiles. See here for an explanation in which I wound up doing a Weber-style infodump on the subject.

[Panzersharkcat]

It's a big burst. Sometimes, in battle, our ships end up tangled with enemy ships. Think of the Battle of Coruscant. Firing a burst like that into a chaotic firefight would result in a lot of friendly fire. The weapon itself is designed to fire only one round before it has to leave. It has no other weapons other than the big gun and relies on other capital ships to ferry it around and defend it. Maybe I could stick a magazine of a two or three additional rounds into it, after which it has to be leave the battle to fix for barrel wear.

[Darkevilme]

I suppose if that gets used in the opening rounds of a battle so it can flee immediately after, I can avoid friendly fire, too.

Er, I'm not sure I understand the concept.

Put it this way- I am a fan of the idea of using flak shells as a way to improve the lethal footprint of solid hypervelocity projectiles. See here for an explanation in which I wound up doing a Weber-style infodump on the subject.

I'll hazard a guess while you meant 'proximity detonations result in a corridor of positions the target can occupy and be damaged as opposed to a straight line' what Panzer visualized was some form of apocalypse shell that detonated with such force and spreading damaging submunitions over such a wide area that firing it into a fleet battle would be liable to inflict damage on both sides.

edit: and i was right, Panzer beat me to the post button but i'm posting anyway.

[Simon_Jester]

It depends on how big a bursting charge you use- but yes, assuming these shells move fast, the speed imparted to the fragments/submunitions by the shell coming apart is small compared to the speed of the projectile. Momentum is conserved, so you get a cloud of shrapnel that flies downrange along a cone, a cone drawn with its axis along the original base vector of the shell. Not a spherical burst, unless for some reason you watch the whole battle in the frame of reference of the shell's center of mass.

That said, yes, if the weapon operates as advertised, you wouldn't want to fire it into a close range entangled fleet action, although I usually visualize space-naval battles as taking place at longer ranges: more like fighters duking it out with missiles from beyond visual range, and less like WWII dogfights. But there are many possibilities for alternate types of ammunition the weapon could be loaded with...
-'Dumb' shrapnel shells (in which case the round would be laced with explosive cutting charges or possibly use a small nuke to blow it apart),
-Flechettes (in which case you need the thing to be able to impart spin to the round as it leaves the gun, like a rifle)
-Guided submunitions (think a big bundle of Sidewinder missiles or something- the cannon is used to get all the missiles close to the target quickly, and they use their own engines to steer themselves onto the target)
-Single steerable projectile (good for taking out large but mobile targets from long range, like an enemy ludicrous-heavy starship: you need something that can't be dodged easily, but that carries immense destructive force).
-Plain solid shot (good for taking out large targets which are NOT mobile, or whose location can be predicted far in advance, such as planets).
-More exotic stuff (sensor/reconnaissance platforms that can be fired through an enemy formation from very long range to get telemetry data on them, for instance)
-Things I haven't thought of

[Skywalker_T-65]

I've posted my OOB now (edited Nation Post). Can you guys let me know what you think? I don't know if I did it quite right yet...(and the 2nd-5th fleets will be put together once I figure out if I did it right). I think I did it right...but I'm not sure...

[Rabid]

I posted my Nation description in the appropriate thread, with the OOB included.

I will indicate that I welcome any criticism that can be made on my prologue posts (I've only this far posted the 1st part of a multiple-part macro-post).

I still have one slot available for a trade-route, and I would myself welcome any inbound trade-route ( ).

[Panzersharkcat]

I'll give you an inbound one to reciprocate for the one you have with me.

[Dark Hellion]

I'd be down for sending you a trade as well, with or without reciprocation.

[Force Lord]

Requesting trade partner please. We don't bite!

[Panzersharkcat]

@Force Lord
Sure, why not. Throw one my way and I'll write it in as I edit my nation entry.

[Force Lord]

@Force Lord
Sure, why not. Throw one my way and I'll write it in as I edit my nation entry.

Granted. Trade is something the Centrality has learned to live with.

[Rabid]

One outbound trade-route for The Rats.

One inbound trade-route from The Bastian Star Empire ?

[Darkevilme]

I haven't written up an OOB yet so I don't have a set number of trade routes to offer. But is there anyone interested in trading with the Chamarran Hierarchy?

[Panzersharkcat]

@Rabid
Yes. One inbound to you from the Bastian Star Empire.

@Darkevilme
I may or may not. I think it'd be more interesting to have a grudge between the two species of cat people, especially if one of them is more feline than the other.

[Skywalker_T-65]

I'd be willing to trade, so long as you stay far away from the Furlings (them keeling over from their allergies wouldn't exactly end well...)

(Darn it...didn't post fast enough...)

Panzer...you're people are cat people too? Then its a good thing that the further out sectors need your stuff more...Reach would be depopulated since it is mostly Furlings...

[OmegaChief]

Given afformentioned potentially warm relationship between the Capellans and Chamarrans, and given that I still have two routes to offer myself, I'd be willing to go bi-lateral trade route with you if you wanted Darkevilme.

[Panzersharkcat]

I'd be willing to trade, so long as you stay far away from the Furlings (them keeling over from their allergies wouldn't exactly end well...)

(Darn it...didn't post fast enough...)

Panzer...your people are cat people too? Then its a good thing that the further out sectors need your stuff more...Reach would be depopulated since it is mostly Furlings...

Yup. Bastians with their homeworld of Bastet didn't tip you off? Oh, well. Bastet is an Egyptian goddess associated with cats. Sobek is a crocodile, as there's hardly an Egyptian equivalent to talking deathclaw, and Neith is supposedly associated with spiders, as there's not exactly a octopus-spider hybrid in the Egyptian pantheon.

[Darkevilme]

Excellent. I'll note down to put a mutual trade route with the Capellan luminiscent snow people.

Next order of business. Any human dominate power interested in being the primary antagonist of the Hierarchy? I figure there should be someone who represents the primary organized obstacle to their expansion.

[Rabid]

*"discreetly" point toward the Technocrats*

...

What ?! I was just extending my arm, my shoulders are killing me !

[OmegaChief]

You could poke Force Lord? The Centrality seems like a good potential antagonist for the Hierarchy.

Catgrils vs sdrawkcab Sith!

[Skywalker_T-65]

I would suggest myself, but Arcadia doesn't work for two reasons...
One: We are Space Sweden, and thus don't mess with other nations (too much).
Two: You don't have an OOB up yet, but it is safe to bet that your military will be much stronger (At least, much stronger than my (relatively) pathetic Army).

Though, if you really don't like the Arcadians for some reason (the Cat-phobic Furlings maybe?) then I would be game...I just think someone else could work better.

EDIT: Also, whenever you get on Simon can you let me know if my OOB works, I'm worried I botched something at some point (probably the Army). Which reminds me...my shock troops (the Furlings) would be useless against the Chamarrans!